QB Jack Tuttle breaks down why Michigan is 'special,' his strengths, skill position standouts

Michigan Wolverines football graduate quarterback Jack Tuttle has had a long journey in college football. It began at Utah in 2018, continued at Indiana from 2019-22 and will finish at Michigan following the 2024 campaign. Tuttle was in the same recruiting class that former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who’s now in his fourth NFL season, topped.

Last season, Tuttle served as J.J. McCarthy‘s backup and didn’t know if it would be his last year of college ball. His medical hardship waiver was improved this past winter, granting him one last season, and he intends on making the most of it.

“I’m definitely excited,” Tuttle said on Champions Circle’s ‘The L.A.B.’ podcast with host Jake Butt. “It’s been a long run, but I’m very blessed to be here. Coming to Michigan was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. I’ve got some amazing teammates and coaches. And man, the facilities, everything about this place, the city. Very blessed to be here, and I’m super excited for this year.”

Tuttle’s experiences at other schools give him perspective on how strong Michigan’s culture is. He says it goes beyond just NIL.

“Ann Arbor is extremely special,” Tuttle explained. “When I first came here, there was just so much tradition, and I wasn’t really used to that. I stepped in the locker room, everything was just different. Guys had an expectation to win, how things were done. The weight room, the locker room, the cafe, there were just expectations of doing right everywhere you went. 

“It felt like it was more than just NIL or whatever it was, because guys were saying they wanted to finish, they wanted to get the job done and take this university at Ann Arbor to the next level. That’s what I truly felt when I came in, and it was amazing what happened last year. The guys really earned it.”

Tuttle has battled injuries throughout his career — one doesn’t play seven years of college football without some injury issues — including last season when he injured his shoulder running into an obstruction on the UNLV sideline in non-conference play.

Michigan, of course, won the national championship in 2023. Tuttle had his own personal ups and downs physically but was proud of his team.

“As soon as I stepped in the door, everyone was so welcoming, and it was like a family — truly,” Tuttle said. “And the tradition was just top notch. Everything was in line, there were expectations, goals. And I knew, I was like, ‘OK, boom. Gotta get to work. Gotta do anything I can to help this team.’ And we did that. We did that! Every day, we went to work, got in the weight room, trained as hard as we possibly could. Everyone knew the goal, no one ever faltered.

“Throughout that year in the fall, I ended up getting thrown into a wall against UNLV, which was kind of a crazy thing. I fought through a couple injuries, but I told Coach I just wanted to continue fighting through the rest of the year. I didn’t want to quit — not quit, but I didn’t want to step away and have my injuries treated halfway through the season or ¾ of the way through the season.

“It’s like, no, I want to be here with the team and finish what we started. With J.J. and everybody, I wanted to be there for him and everyone else. That’s what we did. That’s what I did.”

Jack Tuttle’s strengths

Tuttle is competing with senior Davis Warren and junior Alex Orji to be Michigan’s main man behind center, but the group has a great bond.

“I love those guys,” Tuttle said. “We’re all competing, and they’re doing a great job. I’m proud of them, and we’re gonna do everything we can.”

Tuttle’s experiences battling adversity have helped contribute to the type of player he is and strives to be.

“I’ve always looked up to [former Stanford and Indianapolis Colts quarterback] Andrew Luck as a quarterback,” the Michigan quarterback said. “He’s the guy that I watched a ton of film on, I’ve talked to. And his gameplay is something I admired. His toughness, really, is what is huge to me.

“It stands out to me, and the way he operates an offense and makes plays for his team when there are none to be had, that’s something that I really try to model my game after and strive to continue to get better at and be able to play at an elite level at those things. 

“Toughness, resilience, battling back and being able to do that stuff, that’s what I really try to model my game after.”

Michigan skill position standouts

Michigan has just one returning starter on offense this season in junior tight end Colston Loveland, but there’s confidence that others will step up. Tuttle broke down some of the skill position players who are progressing.

“There are so many guys on the offense, even the freshmen that just got here, that have just been trending upwards,” Tuttle said. “That’s extremely exciting. 

“Colston and [senior running back] Donovan [Edwards] and those guys are just unbelievable. [Junior wide receiver] Tyler Morris has progressed so much. We all saw him in the Rose Bowl spit down the sideline and score that touchdown for us, which was unbelievable. He’s done an amazing job. He’s done a great job over the offseason not just being good on the field but being good off the field, being a good leader. That’s great for him. 

“[Sophomore wideout] Semaj Morgan, obviously, is stepping into a bigger role now that Roman [Wilson] is gone. So him and Tyler are absolutely balling out so far in fall camp. [Graduate] C.J. Charleston and [junior] Amorion Walker are doing great things. They’re going to continue to do that, so I’m excited for them.”